A northern Virginia mayor was facing drug charges Friday after his arrest in a meth-for-sex sting, police said.
(FOX)- Fairfax Mayor R. Scott Silverthorne was arrested Thursday after meeting with undercover detectives at a hotel, police said.
After receiving a tip about a possible methamphetamine distributor in July, Fairfax County police said in a statement that they began an inquiry and identified a suspect distributing methamphetamine through a website used to arrange for casual sexual encounters between men. An undercover detective created a profile on the site and police said within days the suspect, who turned out to be Silverthorne, made contact and they then communicated by text.
Silverthorne, 50, indicated that he could provide methamphetamine for sexual encounters and undercover detectives agreed to meet for a group sexual encounter in exchange for methamphetamine, police said. Silverthorne arranged to bring methamphetamine and other men, police said.
Detectives met Silverthorne at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in McLean on Thursday and he was arrested after he gave them methamphetamine, police said.
Detectives also found Silverthorne’s suppliers Juan Jose Fernandez, 34, and Caustin Lee McLaughlin, 21, of Maryland, and arrested them, police said.